


Raised Right

by alianora



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M, Post-Serenity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-30
Updated: 2005-10-30
Packaged: 2018-05-16 15:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5830873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alianora/pseuds/alianora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaylee ain’t the kinda girl you just mess around with. She’s the kinda girl you court proper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raised Right

**Author's Note:**

> Written October 30, 2005

Jayne had been watching her for a while now. She’s been sitting down in the cargo bay crying for about an hour. Not hard crying, just kinda shaking a little. And sometimes he could hear her sniff some.

She and the doc had gotten into it earlier. There was a good deal of yelling, and then the crazy girl was in the middle and screaming. And now the doc was drugging the hell outta his sister, and Kaylee was crying in the cargo hold.

Something about that weren’t right.

He had seen Kaylee all kinds of emotional since he met her. She was just like that. She could be some kind of pissed off if you crossed her, and it weren’t like this was the first time he had seen her cry. But this weren’t normal Kaylee crying.

This was Kaylee looking beat. Like she was giving up.

And Kaylee weren’t ever one to give up on anything.

Jayne had been sitting up on the catwalk when she came in, and he was just watching her now.

He weren’t no good at comforting crying girlfolk, so he was staying right where he was. But he didn’t wanna leave her alone, neither. So he kept sitting, just keeping watch on her.

Eventually, she did get up. Dried her face off on her coveralls, and went back to work. Looking for all the world like she hadn’t just been broken in two by that rutting doctor.

But it weren’t his business. And Kaylee weren’t his girl.

So, he stayed where he was. And he just watched her walk away.

And then he went to go lift weights. ‘Cause he had a powerful need to hurt somebody, and Mal sure would be put out if he beat the hell outta the doc.

So, he was planning on take out some of this rage on the weights. Least they wasn’t gonna make no little girls cry.

\--------------------------------------

It was a good while later when he picked his way to his bunk. His muscles were burning in a good way, and a towel was slung round his neck.

He had gotten used to having nobody to spot him when the Shepard left, but sometimes he still missed having Book there to switch off with. He had nearly overloaded at one point, and kinda twisted his wrist some, keeping the bar from dropping funny.

So, it could probably be explained that he was distracted by his wrist when he dropped down into his bunk.

It’s the only reason he could come up with on why he didn’t see her right away.

“Kaylee!” He jumped back about a foot, one hand going automatic to his hip before it really sunk in who it was.

Kaylee. In his bunk. Wearing a tiny little dress and holding a bottle of hooch.

Something ‘bout this picture just ain’t right.

She gave him that mega watt grin, but there was something funny round her eyes. “Hiya, Jayne.” She waved the bottle at him. “Thought you might want some company and something to drink.”

“Well, I ain’t never said no to a drink. And your company’s welcome.” He gestured towards the bed, but he was watching her awful close as she settled herself down. The little dress weren’t covering much, and she didn’t seem too concerned about the amount of leg she was showing off.

Matter of fact, she kinda seemed to be flirting.

He stayed where he was, ‘cause he could see Mal thinking all sorts of the wrong things about this situation.

Or maybe all the right things, ‘cause the look Kaylee just flashed him from under her eyelashes was all kinds of inviting.

“Come on and sit down already.” She patted a place on the bed right beside her, leaning over some so her top slid off of her shoulder a bit.

She had a right pretty neck. Not that he was noticing.

But, he sat himself down beside her anyways, taking the bottle when she passed it over. Maybe if he just didn’t look over at her, this could just be two people enjoying some drinking.

And maybe he was just hallucinating all this anyway. Which might be preferable to the reality, which was all kinds of weird.

He was trying to remember the last time Kaylee had been in his bunk, and aside from the time the com shorted out, and maybe his first day, he couldn’t think of any. She had never come in just for the company before.

Maybe she needed some help with something. Like, lifting something in the engine room, or taking apart one of the vents or something.

The booze went down kinda like drinking fire, but it weren’t the worst he’d ever drunk. It was actually one of Kaylee’s better batches of moonshine. Which weren’t saying much.

And then all thoughts about the merits of moonshine went complete out of his head when the girl sitting beside him snuggled up to his arm and grinned up at him.

“Why, Jayne!” She batted her eyelashes. “You would think you had never had a girl in your bunk before!”

He shifted, trying to get some room between the two of them. “Not you anyways, Kaylee.”

She slid up sudden, wrapping her fingers round the collar of his shirt as she pressed up against him. “You do ‘member what to do with one, doncha?” 

Damn, she smelled good. And it’d been a while since they set down somewhere that had a decent whorehouse, so it weren’t like he weren’t very aware of how very girly she was.

And with her shimmying outta her dress, leaving her in very little, it weren’t like he wasn’t attracted.

Rutting hell, was he attracted. All that skin, just waiting to be licked.

But this weren’t a whore, this was _Kaylee_. Who he saw everyday. Who he teased, worked with, and helped lift things. His friend, as much as he had one.

And he weren’t about to treat her that way. No matter how good she smelled or how her hot her breathe was on his neck. Or how very pretty her ti.. _breasts_ looked, all perky and round.

He wasn’t moving, and she was getting closer, and her girly bits was looking all kinds of bitable.

Some part of his brain was chanting _airlock, airlock_ , but he seemed to be having trouble remembering what that meant.

And then Kaylee was all pressed up against him, all warm and soft, and she was about to kiss him, right on the mouth, and that’s when he dropped the bottle he’d been holding and jumped up about eighteen feet in the air.

She overbalanced and fell over onto the bed as he got as far across the room as humanly possible. She looked kinda pissed, but still really really good. And very nearly nekkid.

He grabbed the rungs of the ladder to his bunk to give himself something to hold onto that weren’t a body part of hers. “What the hell, girl?” he half shouted. “What the hell?” He was shook something good, and wasn’t sure he was making any kinds of sense.

But Kaylee, down here in his bunk, acting like that didn’t make any kind of sense, neither.

Rolling her eyes, she stood up again and started moving towards him, setting all kinds of interesting things a moving. "A woman shows up naked in your bunk and you gotta ask?"

"You ain't no--" he swallowed, his eyes exploring where they shouldn't, "Woman. You’re just a girl and girls shouldn't be showin' up nekkid in my bunk!"

"I'm not quite naked yet." Determined, she moved toward him again.

"You just stop right there!" He pointed one shaking finger at her, and flattened himself back against the ladder.

"Jayne." She was pouting, and there weren’t a force more powerful in the ‘verse than that little girl’s pout. But he weren’t having none of it. ‘Sides, he was having enough trouble just focusing on her face.

"Don't know what bee ya got in your bonnet but I ain't lookin'--" his eyes slid down to her body and he forced them back to her face. “I ain’t looking to do nothing with you, Kaylee, so you just put your dress back on and head on up outta here.”

She came just a little closer, running her hands down her stomach. “Don’t you think I’m pretty, Jayne?” She turned around slowly, keeping her eyes on him. “I know what you like in a woman, Jayne.” She slid her fingers into the waistband into of her panties and started to edge them down.

“You stop that right now, girl.” His voice had suddenly gotten cold. “You ain’t gonna come into my bunk, like some cheap bit of trim, and expect me to pet ‘cha and call ya pretty.” He stalked over to the bed and threw her crumpled up dress in her face. “You put your clothes on, and you get out, girl.”

She gaped at him, clutching her dress. Stark shock flicked across her face. “I thought..”

“I don’t give a rutting hell what you thought, girl!” He was well and truly pissed by now. He weren’t even horny anymore. “You thought you could prance in here and throw yourself at ol’ Jayne, and that’d be just fine!” He grabbed up the bottle of booze and shook it at her. “Get him drunk, do whatever the hell you wanted, and then go back to your doctor in the morning!”

She was still standing in the middle of the room, and suddenly she was looking awful small.

But he weren’t in a good spot to notice. “That ain’t no better than a whore, little girl. Is that what you are?” He was near spitting by this point. “I heard how you came on board, Kaylee. Is that what you’re doing?” He was right up in her face, and he could see her eyes was all shiny, but he didn’t care. “Is it my turn? You already done everybody else on Serenity?” 

She tried to stutter a denial, shaking her head hard. Tears were starting to roll down her face.

He looked her up and down. “Can’t say that you’re the best looking whore I ever done, but you ain’t bad.” He reached up to unbuckle his belt, never taking his eyes off the shocked girl in front of him. “Time to pay up, little girl. I’ll get you your money after.”

With a choked cry, Kaylee dashed for the ladder. She was half crying as she threw herself up it, dress still pressed tight to her, trying to cover what she was so willing to give away just a bit ago.

Jayne didn’t even care if Mal himself saw her coming outta his bunk, crying and nekkid. He kicked his bunk, snarling and swearing when it didn’t do more than make a dull thunk. He overturned anything he could get his hands on, throwing anything with any weight behind it as hard as he could.

Standing in the middle of the wreckage of his room, he rubbed his hands through his hair. He was real tired, all of a sudden. He let himself slip down the wall, grabbing the bottle Kaylee had brought with her. Somehow, he hadn’t smashed it.

He leaned back against the wall, resting his head against the bottle.

He could still smell her.

\-----------------------------

The next day weren't no better.

He sat in the mess, grunting when anybody bothered to talk to him.  
Barely anybody did.

Zoë came in, got something, and left. He didn't even think she saw him sitting there. She's been awful tore up. She was grieving. Still, you gotta keep your eyes open, and she didn't seem to be doing that. Would get her in trouble one day soon.

Mal spared him a nod.

The doc wandered through, but he was hiding behind all of his medical crap, and he was looking a mite stressed anyway. His sister was right on his heels, and her expression at her brother weren't the nicest thing ever. She probably was mad 'cause Simon had made Kaylee cry.

Crazy girl looked right at him and crossed her eyes.

He growled at her. But she just giggled at him, one hand covering her mouth like she knew something he didn't.

'Course, she probably did. Gorram reader.

He still weren't sure what the hell had been going through Kaylee's head when she showed up in his bunk last night, but it sure as hell hadn't been a dream. He had woken up in the wreck he had made last night, a little hungover and a lot tired.

He spent most of the day sitting in the mess, waiting for Kaylee to come through so he could find out what the hell she had been thinking.

And maybe apologize some. He hadn't exactly been nice. But he had been surprised, and she hadn't been acting normal. It weren't his fault.

She never did show up.

He didn't once hear her voice, or see her, or nothing.

Eventually, he got tired of sitting there. And hell, if she didn't want to see him, he weren't interested in seeing her neither.

It weren't like he was worried or nothing.

He figured he'd see her tomorrow, sure enough.

But he didn't.

Nor the next day.

He knew she hadn't disappeared. He had heard her voice telling Mal about a problem Serenity was having, and he had seen her back once when he was headed out of the infirmary after dropping a crate.

But everytime he tried to hunt her down, she pulled some kinda disappearing act and was off into thin air.

The crew had even had a couple of meals together, and she was there, but it was like he was invisible, 'cause she weren't even so much as looking at him. She weren't just ignoring him, 'cause when she did that, she tossed her hair alot and muttered stuff under her breath to let a body know she was mad. It was like he weren't even on her radar.

It was making him a mite grumpy, to tell the truth.

So, he decided he was gonna find her, and they was gonna have a talk about all this. 'Cause he mighta hurt her feelings some, but this was getting out of hand. 'Sides, he weren't the only one who was in the wrong of this.

He'd lock her in the engine room, if he had too.

He spent the next day and a half trying to hunt her down. He was one of the best trackers there was, but that was mostly on land. Here on ship, things got a mite more interesting. There weren't anyway to see footprints, for one, less a body stepped in engine grease.

But there still were no sign of her.

He was only seeing her at meals now, and peoples was starting to notice something was up. Kaylee weren't speaking to him at all, and wouldn't even answer a direct question. It were pretty easy to see that Mal was starting to come up with his own list of things to ask, starting with _You need a trip out the airlock?_.

It had been near a full week since Kaylee had shown up in his bunk, and he ain't seen hide nor hair of her at any times but meals.

She was even talking a little to the doctor now. 

Guess they had worked out their spat, whatever it was. Although they wasn't near as lovey dovey as they was when they first got together.

It would probably amuse him some, if he weren't so frustrated by the whole thing.

But she was still freezing him out completely, and finally, after another dinner of him talking to her and her ignoring him, he stayed slumped at the table, glaring at the mush in front of him.

Natural like, that was when Mal settled across from him.

Jayne was already in a bad mood, after Kaylee completely passed him over when she was handing out potatoes, so it weren't the best time, to say the least.

And Mal had that look on his face, the one that said that Jayne had probably screwed up again, and Mal was just waiting to hear the damage.

Jayne scowled down at his half empty plate. He weren't gonna be helping the Captain with this one.

"Something going on with you and Kaylee?" Mal's voice was awful calm, which is usually when you gotta start worrying about your gun and whether your ass was still attached.

Jayne just grunted.

"Don't think you heard me." Mal's voice went even flatter, which left Jayne itching to put hand to pistol. "Something going on with you and Kaylee?"

"Naw."

"I don't think that's true." Mal settled back against the chair. "Seems to me that she has a problem of some sort with you. And seeing as its Kaylee, I'm figuring you stepped outta line somewhere."

"I didn't do nothing." Jayne tightened his hands round his chopsticks.

"Something tells me that ain't the truth."

Jayne smirked. "Why don'tcha ask Kaylee what happened? I think she could shed some interesting light on the subject."

Mal leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His eyes were real flat. "She ain't talking."

Jayne snorted. "I noticed."

"Why ain't Kaylee talking, Jayne? I suggest you get real communicative, real fast."

Jayne studied the man across from him. He pushed his dinner away. "It might have something to do with that fight she had with the doc a while back."

"And why would you have anything to do with that?"

"I don't."

"Jayne." Mal's voice held a warning. "You need to be telling me everything you know, right now."

"I threw her outta my bunk."

Mal blinked. "I'm sorry. I think I misheard you." He leaned a little closer. "Do what, now?"

"I threw her outta my bunk. She didn't have no business being there, and I wanted her gone."

Mal scratched his head. "I'm getting the feeling I'm not getting the whole story."

Jayne shrugged. "I told you, if you wanna know what happened, you gotta ask Kaylee."

"I'm asking you."

Jayne was getting frustrated. He didn't think it was any of the Captain's business, but he kinda knew this was coming. Its not like Mal made a secret that Kaylee was his favorite of the crew. And with Jayne being at the bottom of the list most days, after the crazy girl and the a/c unit, it weren't like he was gonna be getting out of this situation.

"So," Mal said conversationally. "You kicked her outta your bunk."

"Yeah."

"What I'm having trouble with is, what the hell was Kaylee doing in your bunk?"

"Good question." Jayne growled. "But she never told me. I came downstairs, and there she was."

"And what was she doing?"

Jayne shrugged. 

Mal was starting to look more confused than pissed. "Is there some reason you don't wanna tell me what she was doing there?"

Jayne just shrugged again. He was suddenly real interested in the table top.

"Jayne?" Mal looked very serious. "I'm getting worried here."

"Well, she.." Jayne hesitated. "She weren't interested in talking, that was for sure." He traced the edge of the bowl in front of him with a finger. He could feel Mal's surprise when the Captain figured that one out. 

"So, she was..." Mal was making some weird faces over there, trying to figure out a way to say it tactful like.

"Yeah."

"And you...threw her out?"

"Yeah."

"And she's mad because of that?"

"Seems like."

Mal sat back. "Huh." He studied the big merc across the table from him. "So, can I ask what stopped you?"

Jayne snorted. “What, you looking for a reason to kill me?”

Mal grunted. “No. Just..you ain’t known for your self control.”

“Ain’t never cared.”

“So, why you care about your self control where Kaylee’s involved?”

Jayne looked down at the table again. “It wouldn’t have been right.”

“’Cause I’d kill you?”

The big man shrugged. “That too.”

“And the rest?”

“Kaylee ain’t the kinda girl you mess around with, is all.” Jayne said. “She’s the kinda girl you court proper.”

Mal blinked. “Sorry, I must have misheard you.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“You wanna… _court_ Kaylee.”

“Maybe.”

“I don’t think there is a maybe involved here.” Mal shook his head in amazement. “This ain’t the kinda stuff you’d normally be telling me. Am I missing something?”

Jayne crossed his arms defensively. “Well, I can’t talk to her Pa. Figure you’re the closest thing she’s got out here. ‘Sides,” he added, “If you found out I was doing anything with Kaylee without you knowing about it first, I don’t think I’d be able to explain it with a bullet in my gut.”

Mal had to accept the truth of that. “So, courting. What are we talking here?”

Jayne stared. “I ain’t thought about it too hard. She’s been avoiding me like hell, and ‘sides, she’s got the doc.”

“No, she don’t. That fight they had seems to have ended things.”

Jayne’s head came up sharp. “Yeah?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Then, I guess..courting.”

Mal shook his head. “I’m still not understanding this idea. It ain’t like we got socials or anything for you to take her to.”

“I’ll figure something out.” Jayne was watching Mal careful like. Mal still ain’t said how he felt about the idea of Jayne courting his mei mei.

Mal studied him for a second. He blew out his breath. “Alright, court away. I won’t stop you.”

“Yeah?” Jayne’s voice was hopeful.

“Yeah.” Mal chuckled some. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”

“If it makes you feel better, she could always say no.”

“Well now,” Mal grinned. “That does make me feel better already.”

\--------------------------------

After his talk with Mal, Jayne waited two more days before trying to find Kaylee again.

For one, he wanted to be sure she weren't still so mad she'd throw something at him.

For two, he needed to think.

He'd known for a while that Kaylee and courting would come up eventually. But he had always figured Mal would say no, or Kaylee would, 'cause of the Doc. So, when he had thought about it, it was always _some day_.

But, Mal said it was alright, and the Doc weren't in the picture no more.

Which meant it went from _someday_ to _now_ , which startled him some.

And he ain't never courted no one proper before.

He had taken a couple of girls out walking, when he was a kid. But that was a long time ago, and like Mal said, weren't exactly any socials to take her to on Serenity.

So that left simple stuff. Like, walking her to dinner. Or giving her pretty things. Or spending time with her somewheres other than his bunk. 

Couldn't be starting that kinda stuff 'til they had courted a while.

Courting meant some kisses, including ones on the mouth, but mainly just spending time with her. Letting her know he means business. Talking, getting to know each other, that kinda thing.

He had written his momma a letter, after he talked to Mal. He was waiting to mail it 'til he had talked to Kaylee. Ma would be thrilled. She'd been after him for years to finally settle down.

She'd love Kaylee, too. Ain't nobody couldn't love Kaylee.

He'd take Kaylee there, one day, to meet his family. She'd like that. It ain't right, marrying into a family without knowing them.

He was hoping he wasn't going to have to ask her Pa, when it came time to be thinking about weddings. Talking to the Captain had been bad enough.

But he was thinking too far ahead. Wouldn't be good to make all the plans, and then have her laugh in his face the first time he asked to walk her to dinner.

So, he was going have to go about this careful like.

Problem was, he didn't really have any idea about what he supposed to say to her about it.

He'd asked Mal, as her Pa weren't around. Does the Pa usually tell the girl? Or was he supposed to?

He was hoping his Ma would have some ideas, but he couldn't wait for the time it'd take to get a letter back. If he waited, the Doc might come to his senses. Or Mal wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut and would tell the whole crew, including Kaylee, and ruin everything.

Mal must have already told Zoe, as she had almost smiled at him this morning.

The moonbrain already knew, of course, but she just patted him on the head, told him something stupid about dreams and wishes, and went back to bugging her brother.

If she was gonna be keeping the Doc busy through this, he might even be nice to her. Maybe.

His mind was running in circles, trying to come up with some things he and Kaylee could do on ship.

He could make her dinner, easy enough. So long as she likes pancakes or dumplings. Those were 'bout the only two things he could make without help.

There were exactly two people on board who would know about courting, and he weren't' about to ask either of them.

The Doc wouldn't help him with it if Jayne were the last man left alive. Especially not for Kaylee's sake. The only person the Doc would get more het up about Jayne courting would be the crazy girl.

That left Inara, who had to know all that courting stuff to do her job.

But both of them know more about the fancy courting. With balls and fans and big frilly dresses. Jayne doubted they knew nothing about real world courting. Barn dances and sneaking up to the hay lofts are probably things neither one of them had ever thought of before.

Jayne was cleaning his knives at the table, still thinking things through about how to go about talking to Kaylee, when little sister plopped down next to him.

She had a whole stack of colored paper under one arm, and she was busy sorting them by color.

She shoved a stack of red at him. "Help her, please."

"Go away, girl. I ain't helping you with nothing." He tried to turn back to his knives, but she was busy shoving all of them out of the way. "Hey!"

"Is for horses. Help her, or she will let thistles grow in the hay." She slid over a couple of pieces of green paper to go with the red. 

"Thistles?"

"Prickly. Make haylofts uncomfortable. She will want to keep her pants on."

Haylofts. Jayne's brain turned over this one. The girl was offering to help him somehow. What that had to do with colored paper, he had no idea. But, he put his knives to the side, and watched her.

The girl was leaning over the table, a piece of yellow paper in her hands. It looked like she was making a mess with all the creases she was putting in it, but gorramitall, if she didn't end up handing him a flower made out of nothing but paper.

He stared at it for a second. It looked awful fragile. And kinda hard to do.

And his hands were awful big.

The girl poked him in the side. "Perfectly practice. Takes time. And there are no bees."

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "Do it slow this time, so I can see it."

He and the girl spent about a hour trying to do those flowers. At the end, his eyes hurt from squinting, and he must have gotten about forty paper cuts.

But he also had a small collection of flowers to give to Kaylee. You couldn't court a girl without flowers coming into it at some point, and it weren't like there were a flower shop anywhere nearby.

He grinned at the girl, and she grinned back. Then she handed him a paper handgun, patted him on the head again, wished him good pollination and disappeared.

And then it was time to find Kaylee.

He looked down at his ratty t-shirt, and figured it might be time to change clothes, instead.

It was about a half hour later that he finally found himself standing outside the engine room.

He had showered and changed clothes. He was wearing one of his nicer t-shirts, one without a nudie girl on the front, and he had a couple of those flowers tucked into his pocket.

He weren't one for admitting he was afraid, but somehow he weren't too eager to open that door. He muttered to himself what he had planned to say.

"Oh!" And there she was. Standing there with her hands full of engine parts and a surprised look on her face. If her hands hadn't been full, she probably would've run off the instant she saw him.

It was a good thing he was a little faster.

"Hey, Kaylee."

She gave a weak little laugh. "Heya, Jayne. I was just on my way down to talk to the Captain and.."

"I wanna talk to you," he blurted. "I've been looking for you everywhere for over a week and you ain't nowhere to be found."

Kaylee ducked back into the engine room, dropping the parts onto a table. She wiped her hands off on her coveralls. "I've been real busy, you know, giving Serenity a good overhaul." She had her back turned and her hands was shaking a little. He could see it.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He stood awkwardly for a minute. Kaylee was doing everything she could to avoid him, even now. If he wasn't standing right in front of it, she would probably be completely under the engine by now.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Jayne?" She was trying to sound normal, but her voice was a little quivery. "You having any more trouble with your comm unit?"

"Comm is doing fine."

Looked like Kaylee had finally run out of little things she could do without turning towards him. "Then I'm not sure why you're here." She was facing him, but her eyes was scanning around the engine behind him.

"I wanna talk to you."

"You said that already." Kaylee was hitting the edge of her patience, he could see that. She reached up to rub at her eyes and he grabbed her hand 'fore she could. She looked up at him, really at him, for the first time since she showed up in his bunk. 

"You got grease on your hands," he offered lamely to her shocked look. "You wouldn't want it in your eyes."

She was still looking up at him, and he was still holding her hand.

And he had just completely forgotten everything he had been practicing to say to her.

So, he took a deep breath, and hoped he weren't about to shove his foot in his mouth too bad. "You surprised me, showing up like that. It weren't right."

She flushed and tried to yank her hand away, but he weren't letting go.

"But it weren't right of me to say that kinda stuff to you neither." He hesitated. He weren't no good at this. "I'm sorry."

She blinked. They had been on the same boat for almost two years, and he knew she probably hadn't never heard him apologize before. She shook her head. "Don't be."

"What's that?"

She looked down at her hand in his. "You were right. I'd had gotten into a fight with Simon, and I was planning on using you to get over it. It weren't right." She looked up, and he could see tears shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry too."

"Well, now." That part had gone better than he was expecting. She hadn't thrown nothing at him, and he weren't hanging out the airlock with the Captain laughing at him. 

"Jayne?"

"Yeah?"

"Why you still holding my hand?"

He blinked at her, and then looked down. "Oh." He let go a little reluctantly. Her hand was warm and little and felt good. He tucked his hand in his pocket and felt the flowers in there.

They stood, still real close together. Her looking down, and him looking at her.

"Jayne?"

"Yeah?"

"Why you still standing here?" She was blushing a little, and he figured he might have been looking a little too long.

"I wanna ask you something."

"Alright." She looked up at him from under her lashes. Not flirty, like last time, but like she wasn't sure what he was gonna ask.

He tightened his fingers round the flowers tucked away and took a deep breath. He was stalling, and he knew it. He straightened up a little before opening his mouth. "You know, before the Doc got here, we was getting along pretty good, right?"

She nodded.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe..that you might like me some."

She opened her mouth to say something, but he rushed on.

"'Cause I like you. A lot."

Kaylee was caught with her mouth half open. She gaped at him.

"And Mal said it was ok, and the girl said the Doc done messed everything up with you, so I was wondering if.." He trailed off, trying to figure out the look on her face.

"If what?" Kaylee whispered.

"If you was minding..if you wanted..if I could..come and call on you." Jayne was floundering a little, but at least he was talking.

"Come and call on me?" Kaylee seemed to be getting a little stuck on repeating things.

"Yeah."

She just stared at him with wide eyes. But she weren't laughing, and if he was a praying man, he'd be thanking God for that right 'bout now. Her mouth was opening and closing, like she wanted to say something. Instead, she was looking a little like a fish.

"You want to..call on me?" She finally squeaked.

He shrugged and studied the floor. "Yeah."

"Like..courting?"

"Belike."

She was still staring. He could feel it. He tightened his hands into fists in his pockets. He hurriedly pulled out on of the flowers when he realized he was crushing it. "Here."

She took the fragile little thing from him. "It's beautiful."

He was getting all kinds of uncomfortable, standing there. She still hadn't answered.

She looked up at him. "Do you like picnics?"

"What, like, eating outside?"

She nodded. Her eyes was shining again, and he was worried she was about to cry. He didn't think he was that bad of a catch.

"Yeah, I guess." He squinted at her. He weren't real sure of where this conversation was going.

She smoothed her hair back and a smile curved her lips a little. "Pick me up in an hour."

He held his breath for a second. "What?"

"I need to go get cleaned up. Do you like potatoes?"

Hope was finally rising to the surface of Jayne's heart. "I love potatoes."

She tucked the little paper flower behind her ear careful like. "Pick me up in an hour," she repeated. She was grinning something fierce.

He realized he was grinning like a fool too, but he didn't care none. "Where are we going for our picnic?"

"How about the cargo bay? There's a private little corner down there where I think we could eat in peace." She touched the flower gently. "And where we could talk a little more about courting."

"Alright." He reached out and touched her hand. "I'll come and getcha in a little while. I got some things to set up while you're getting prettier."

Girl actually flushed when he said that. "I have to say, Jayne Cobb," she said when he was turning away. "I never thought I would see this."

"What's that, Kaylee?" One hand was on the doorframe, a little over her head. 

"Never thought I'd see the day you would come a courting me." She laid one hand lightly on his shoulder. 

He leaned down a little, not to kiss her, 'cause they was just starting out, but just to get a little closer. "My Momma raised me right."

Her eyes was glowing when she brushed her lips over his cheek. "I think she did, Jayne Cobb. I think she did."

END.


End file.
